Former Vice-President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, today announced his defection from the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the opposition, All Progressives Congress (APC).
In a statement issued to this effect, the former Vice President said “the PDP continues to be beset with many crises, mostly leadership-induced crises.
“We have, therefore, concluded that that party (PDP) cannot be redeemed. In short the PDP has abandoned Nigerians, the very people who gave it life and many electoral victories.
“It has since lost touch with Nigerians and efforts made by many well-meaning members and stakeholders to bring it back to the vision of its founders have been rebuffed.
“To demonstrate the seriousness of the challenges and bring public attention to it, I and some other leaders and stakeholders, staged a walkout during the party’s last convention on August 30.”
“We continue to have threats from officially protected political extremists.
“Increasingly, our people are recklessly being divided along the lines of religion, ethnicity and region for political gains. Our history and that of many other countries in Africa and Eastern Europe ought to teach us that this is very dangerous and must stop.”
Atiku, who was the 2007 Presidential candidate for the defunct Action Congress, said the PDP's refusal to address his complaints influenced his decision to join the APC. He was approached in December last year by the opposition party asking him to decamp from the ruling party but he stated that he would make a decision after meeting with his stakeholders all over the country.
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